I just talked to a tech on the phone at Midas and during the conversation he mentioned that an Explorer like mine (97 V6 SOHC) should be running Premium gas. Is this true? I have never had anyone tell me this. What do you guys think?

No, don't use it. You will simply be wasting money. Premium gas can actually harm a non-premium engine over time.

In my 98 Explorer SOHC owners manual it specifacally states to only use 87 Octane gasoline and not to use any higher. The ECU has been programmed for 87 octane. Higher octane fuel will only lead to decreased performance and decreased fuel milage.

FYI, my brother has a 2002 Ex with a SOHC V6 and his owners manual also specifies 87 octane fuel.

Unless you have a chip or some serious mods done (s/c, nos) don't use anything higher than 87 octane.